Ranelli's Deli has stood the test of time on Southside (dining review)

The walls are covered with concert posters and photographs, capturing long-ago moments in time. Vintage musical instruments and 45 records are suspended from the ceiling, and 1970s-era rock provides the musical backdrop. As the sign out front attests, Ranelli’s Deli and Cafe has been a landmark on Birmingham’s Southside since 1971. Inside, the hand-lettered menu hanging above the counter has been around as long as I can remember.

The attitude here is super casual—disposable plates and silverware and self-service beverages. Order and pay at the register then pick up your food at the counter when your number is called. Casual presentation aside, Ranelli’s obviously takes the quality of their food quite seriously, serving up treasured family recipes made from obviously high quality ingredients.

A small 7-inch “Round the World” pizza topped with Italian sausage, pepperoni, onions, mushrooms and black and green olives made a nice starter. The flavors were tasty. However, the toppings kept sliding off the thin, crispy crust, which seemed, perhaps, to have been baked in advance.

Tuesday is spaghetti day at Ranelli’s and Thursday is lasagna day, featuring all-you-can-eat pasta, salad and garlic bread. Lasagna ($7.25) was homemade and delicious, made with plenty of ground beef, Italian sausage and cheese. Dinner salads were basic--iceberg lettuce and diced tomato. The house dressing was an herbal Italian vinaigrette. Slices of buttery garlic toast were lightly dusted with garlic salt.

Chicken Fettuccine ($7.25) featured slices of tender, grilled chicken breast atop a blend of fettuccini and spaghetti noodles, tossed in a creamy Alfredo sauce. Meatball Parmesan ($7.25) featured a generous serving of well-seasoned meatballs in marinara sauce, topped with melted cheese. This is not normally served with pasta. However, a bit of spaghetti was included by special request. All entrees are served with salad and garlic bread.

The Italian sausage sandwich ($5.25 for a 6-inch and $7.25 for a 12-inch) featured a warm roll—slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside—filled with what was hands-down the best Italian sausage I’ve ever tasted--perfectly seasoned and of the utmost quality with zero gristle. The sandwich was dressed with grilled onion and bell pepper, a light, flavorful marinara sauce and a fresh grating of parmesan cheese. I can’t say enough about this sandwich. I also liked that I was able to get a side salad with my sandwich in lieu of chips. When served with a side and drink, sandwich combos are priced at $6.79.

Other sandwich selections include a meatball sub, pizza sub, Italian club, tuna salad, Rueben and more. The signature sandwich is the Richman’s po-boy ($11.50 for a 16-inch or $7.25 for the 11-inch Lil Richman), stuffed with ham, corned beef, peppered beef, Genoa salami, pastrami, Swiss and provolone cheeses, and topped with Ranelli’s olive salad. The olive salad, which is also available as a side dish, is a tasty blend of green and black olives in a light, peppery dressing. Other side choices include potato salad and pasta salad.

Salads are priced at $5.89. Choices include a deli salad, turkey breast salad, baked chicken salad, tuna and chicken salad plates, and a cold plate, which includes your pick of three different salads.

We shared a couple of desserts. Choices include canolli ($3.25), various cheesecakes ($2.75), and a walnut brownie ($1.49). The canoli pastry was crispy but not overly so—and contained a delicious, sweet, creamy filling. A slice of strawberry cheesecake was moist, creamy and exceptionally flavorful.

Our only complaint over the course of our meal was that a couple of diners thought the unsweet tea tasted stale. Other than that, we were extremely pleased with the excellent food, reasonable prices, and fast, friendly service. It is clear to see why Ranelli’s has stood the test of time.